Improvement in railroad-car roofs



2' Sheets-Sheet 1. J. PALMER. I

Car Roof.

No. 43,223. I Patented June 21, 1864.

l lizwmf 2 Sheets-Shee't 2.

J; PALMER. Car Roof.

Patented June 21, 1864.

Wz'm marw five/1m UNITED STAT S PATENT OFFICE.

J. PALMER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO..

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILROAD-CAR ROOFS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 43,223, dated June 21, 1864.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J. PALMER, of Cleveland, in the county of Guyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Car Roofs and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full and complete description of the construction and operation of the same, reference bein g had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is an isometrical view. Fig, 2 is a vertical section. Fig. 3 is a top view of the metallic roofing with the outside roof removed. Fig. 4is a detached section.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in the views.

Thenature of my invention relates to the construction of car roofs, the metallic portion of which consists of metal plates or sheets bent at the edges, so as to hook or lap over each other, and they can be made of any desired width or number without reference to the spaces between them or to the carlines, with which they have no direct connection, and they are secured in place on the car, forming the metallic roof, without the aid of nails or bolts or of being perforated in any way.

In Figs. 1 and 2, A represents the outside roofing, B the fascia, and U the upper part of the car. D, Fig. 2, is the ceiling of the car, with car-lines or rafters d underneath. Di-

I rectly above the ceiling, between it and the outside roof, is the metallic roofing E, which consists of metal plates a and b, of any desired width, extending transversely across the car, being curved down from the center to the sides. The edges of these pieces are bent round, as clearly shown in Fig. 4, (which is an enlarged view,) and overlapped or hooked into each other, the edges of each piece turning toward each other, the differentpieces a and I) being placed inversely to each other, thepieces brestin g on the ceiling D, the edges 6 of which turn upward toward each other, while the pieces a are similar to the pieces b, only their position is inverted, the edges to being curved downward, overlapping or hooking onto the edges 1), as represented; and the edges to b of the different plates are not designed to touch at the ends a b", in this way avoiding all capillary attraction and preventing water on the plates from beingdrawn up over the edges by capillary attraction be tween the plates.

The different sections of the metal roof are put together in this way, as represented in Figs. 2 and 3, and when put in place on the car they are entirely free from naill or bolt holes, or from perforations of any kind, which is a great improvement over any other method now in use.

To prevent the sections from slipping or getting out of place in any way there'are ribs F, or their equivalents, extending across the upper side of the ceiling E, close up to the bent edges of the pieces b, as shown in Fig. 2.

It will be observed that the pieces or plates to, being hooked onto the edges of the plates 1) at the ends, prevent the piece I) in the center from being moved either way. Thus the whole length of the roof is kept in place by means of the ribs F. The outer edges of the plates 1) fit into a groove, 0, in the fascia at. the ends of the car, as shown in Fig. 2.

This roof is constructed and put in place without any direct reference to the car-lines 'H and rafters H underneath the covering or roof A, of which there may be any desired number and in any position, as the metallic plates are no way fastened or attached to.

them 5 but the car-lines and rafters extend down to the plates, so as more entirely to prevent them from jostling or moving in any way by the motion of the car.

This roof is much more economical in its construction than those in ordinary use. In the usual manner of making metallic roofs the edges of the different sections are bent round the car-lines so as to require five inches, more or less, to overlap, while this requires only two, being a saving of four feet in anordinary car-roof.

What I claim as my improvement, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The arrangement of the plates or sections a b, when lapped continuously together, as described, without fastenings, in combination with the ribs F, ceiling D, with the roof A, and car-lines, in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

J. PALMER.

WVitnesses:

W. H. BURRIDGE, A. W. MGQLELLAND. 

